Wire-feed mechanism.



G. W. PERKINS.

WIRE FEED MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1911. 1,017,628, Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@AU f /M i mu. hgwwfiw\w i ML G. W. PERKINS. WIRE FEED MECHANISM.

2 1 9 1 00 1 ..nm e F d 6 b n 6 MM P L 1 9 1 L 3 A J D E L I F N 0 I T A G I L P P A 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

axi... W yM COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH 120., WASHINGTON, n. c.

G. W. PERKINS.

WIRE FEED MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED 1111.31, 1911.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

waif

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.,wAs!1muTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

GEORGE W. PERKINS, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, T0 HEATON-ZPENIN- SULAR BUTTON EASTENER COMPANY, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OF MAINE.

WIRE-FEED MECHANISM.

Original application filed April 15, 1910, Serial No. 555,600. Divided and this application filed January 31,

Serial No. 605,698.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Wire-Feed Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to wire feed mechanism for use in machines in which it is desired to intermittently feed a predetermined length of wire from a coil or spool or other form in which a long wire may be put up so that a predetermined length of blank may be severed from the wire.

The invention is especially intended to be used in connection with machines for forming metallic fasteners for fastening buttons to boots and shoes but it is not intended to limit the invention to such use.

The present application is a division of Patent No. 982,440.

The object of the invention is to provide means for positively feeding the wire a predetermined distance at each period of movement and to prevent the backward slip of the wire after the forward feed and also to provide means for varying the length of the feed.

The invention is shown as embodied in a machine for making and setting button fasteners as that is the type of machine shown in said Patent No. 982,440.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of the specification.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1, the button feed being stripped off and showing the method of threading the wire through the eye of the button. Fig. 4 is a view of a portion of the parts shown in Fig. 3, showing the parts in a slightly different position, after the slide moves down to bend the wire over the arbor to form the loop of the fastener. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the fas- Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

tener cut off at the proper length after the loop is formed and about to have the legs formed by the downward movement of the slide. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings,-1 represents a hopper for the buttons, 2 the hopper-stand raceway, and 8 the connecting raceway to which the buttons are delivered from the hopper-stand raceway, and 9 the lower raceway through which the buttons pass to the position where the wire is to be threaded through the eye of the button.

lVhen the button through which the wire 42 is to be threaded is in proper position, as shown in Fig. 3, the wire is then threaded through the eye 43 of the button.

The mechanism for feeding the wire which forms the subject of the present application is as follows: The wire 42 may be run from a spool, not shown, or from any suitable coil. A rod 44 is a stationary part of the machine,.and mounted fast on said rod is a block 45 which is termed the wire end block A rod 46 passes loosely through said block 45 and serves as a guide for the feed block 53. Said rod 46 is longitudinally movable through the block 45 to permit adjustment of the cutter block 68 for the purpose to be hereinafter described. A rest arm 47 for the wire is pivoted at one end to the block ,45, the other end of said arm 47 resting on the adjustable stop screw 48 so that the free end of the rest arm 47 may be raised or lowered. The wire 42 passes over the top of said rest 47 and is supported thereby. Fulcrumed at 49 to said block 45 is a dog 50 whose pointed lower end engages the upper side of the wire. The back of the dog 50 rests against a stop-pin 51 projecting from the block to prevent the dog from being turned too far back on its pivot, and a spring 52 bears against the rear side of the upper arm of the dog 50 to hold the lower arm of the dog by yielding pressure against the stop-pin 51 but which yields sufficiently to the forward feed of the wire to allow the wire to be fed forward. The point of the dog, however, engaging with the wire prevents the wire from being moved backward.

A block 53, which is termed the feed block is slidably mounted on both the stationary rod 44 and the adjustable rod 46.

Pivoted to the side of the block is a rest 54 similar to the rest 47, the free arm of which rests upon the upper end of an adjustable screw 55. The two screws 55 and 48 should be so adjusted with relation to each other that the rests 47 and 54 will be at the same elevation so that the wire may have an even support. The rod 46 is provided with a collar 56 which may be integral therewith or made separate and attached thereto, and which forms a stop to limit the rearward movement of the block 53. Fulcrumed at 57 on the side of the block 53 is a dog 58 whose pointed lower end engages with the wire. A stop-pin 59 serves to limit the rearward movement of the dog 58. A spring 60, which bears against the upper arm of the dog 58, holds the lower end of the dog in yielding engagement with the wire. The dotted line position of the block 53, shown in Fig. 3, shows the block in its forward position and shows the length of the stroke.

The forward end of the rod 44 is made fast to the frame of the machine and is stationary. The forward end of the rod 46 is made fast to a longitudinally adjustable block 61 by screwing or otherwise. Said block 61 is adjustably secured to the stationary block 62, which is part of the frame of the machine, by a set screw 63 which passes laterally through a wide slot 64 in the stationary block 62, its forward end being screwed into the adjustable block 61; see Figs. 2 and 6. The slot 64 being wider than the diameter of the screw 63, allows a forward and back adjustment of the block 61 corresponding with the excess width of the slot 64. When the clamp screw 63 is set up, a washer 65 binds against the stationary block 62 on each side of the slot. hen the screw 63 is loosened, the block 61 may be adjusted by means of the adjusting screw 66 which is screwed into the end of the movable block 61 and has a collar 67 which engages with a notch in the side of the stationary block 62. See Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

In order to adjust the wire feed to feed a longer or shorter blank, the clamp-screw 63 is loosened to relieve the friction of the washer 65 upon the block 62, and then by turning the adjusting screw 66, the block 61 and the cutter-block 68 carried thereby may be moved to the right or left as desired to the extent allowed by the slot 64. For instance, if it is desired to feed a blank longer than that for which the parts are adjusted, as shown in Fig. 6, the block 61 will be moved to the right as is allowed by the width of the slot 64. After being moved to the right as far as desired by means of the adjusting screw 66, the clamp-screw 63 is set up again to bind the block 61 and cutter 68 in the newly adjusted position. In moving the block 61 to the right, it also moves to the right the rod 46 whose forward end is screwed into or otherwise made fast to the block 61 as already described, (see Fig. 3) and when it moves to the right, the stop-- collar 56, which is fast on the rod 46, necessarily moves with the rod 46. That is, referring to Fig. 3, in which the collar 56 is shown as bearing against the block 53 in the most right-hand position of the block 53, when the block 61 and rod 46 are moved to the right as above described, it will move the collar 56 to the right away from the block 53, thereby allowing a movement of the block 53 also to the right as far as the collar 56. This allows the dog 57 to start its feed farther back from the cutting point, but the feed operation of the cam 80 will still carry the feed block 53 in its forward movement to exactly the same forward position that it did before the adjustment, thus making the length of stroke of the feed block as much longer as the distance was increased by the adjustment, and, therefore, feeding the wire that much longer so that a longer blank is cut.

The block 61 is cut out or recessed to receive a block 68 in such manner that the block 68 is held by said block 61 and is oarried by it when the block 61 is adjusted. Said block 68 is slidable up and down within said block 61. Said block 68 is formed with a cutter portion 69 which serves as the movable member of the wire cutter.

The wire 42 passes through a hole in the adjusting block 61 and also through a hole in the block 68 which is carried by the laterally adjustable holder block 61 and passes between the up and down movable cutter 69 and the stationary cutter 70; thence through the eye 43 of the button which is positioned in a slot 71 in the top of the arbor 72. The hole in the block 68 through which the wire passes is larger than the wire to allow for the up and down movement of the cutter block 68.

At each forward feed movement of the block 53 the wire 42 should be fed forward a distance equal to the length required for a single fastener or other article to be formed of the wire.

The mechanism for actuating the feed is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and is as follows: F ulcrumed on a shaft 73 between the ears 74 projecting from the frame is a lever 75, the lower end of which is pivotally connected with the wire feed block in any suitable way, the means shown being to form the lower end of the lever with a slot 76 which straddles a pin 77 passing through the cars 78 which embrace the lower end of the lever 75. The upper arm of said lever is bent and provided with a roll 7 9 which engages with a face cam 80 mounted on shaft 7. The roll 79 is held by yielding pressure in engagement with the face cam by a spring 82, one end of which is seated in a recess in the lever 75, and the other end of which is fastened to the frame. The cam 80 is so proportioned and constructed with relation to the other operating parts of the machine that it will give to the feed block 53 a forward movement at the proper time in the operation and for a distance sufficient to carry the wire the distance of the length of a single fastener. As shown in the drawings, when the high part of the cam 80 during the rotation engages the roll 79 of the lever 75 the feed block 53 will be moved forward until the summit of the high part 00 is reached, and as the high part then moves on the lever 75 will be turned back by the spring 82, causing the feed block 53 to move on its back stroke. The feed block will then remain stationary until the high part of the cam again engages the roll 79. When the block 53 moves forward, the dog 58 engaging the wire causes the wire to move with the block. The dog 50 on the stationary block 45 will yield sufficiently for the wire to ride under it, and when the cam, during the completion of its rotation after the feed block has been fed forward, moves the feed block 53 on its return stroke, the dog 50 will prevent the wire from being pulled backward with it.

After the wire has been fed forward, the requisite predetermined length will be cut off before the next forward feed. In the form of machine shown in the drawing, the wire is bent to form the loop of the fasteners before it is cut off from the body of the wire, but as far as the invention of the present application is concerned it is immaterial whether the loop is formed before or after the blank is cut off, or whether the severed blank is to be formed into a fastener or what its use may be, and for that reason it is not deemed necessary to describe that part of the machine shown.

The mechanism for cutting the wire is as follows: The upper cutter is termed the stationary cutter because it is stationary during the cutting of the wire. It is, however, attached to and carried by the adjustable block 61 for the purpose of varying the length of the blank to be cut from the wire. The lower cutter 69 is formed as a part of the block 68 which is movable up and down. It is slightly off-set from the cutting edge of the stationary cutter 7 O, the block of which the cutter 7 0 forms a part being formed with a recess 96 to receive the cutter 69 on its upward stroke. The block 68 and its cutting edge 69 are carried by the adjustable block 61 when said block 61 is moved to adjust it to varying lengths of blank so that the cutters 69 and 70 will maintain their relative positions in all adjustments.

The means for actuating the vertically reciprocable cutter 69 and the block 68 of which it forms a part are as follows: The

lower end of the cutter block 68 rests upon the upper end of one arm of a rocking lever 97 fulcrumed at 98. Said rocking lever 97 is pivotally connected at 99 wit-h a connecting rod 100 which passes through bearings fastened to the frame, its other end being provided with a roll 101 which engages with a cam 102 mounted on the shaft 7 said cam 102 being so formed as to actuate the rod 100 to lift the block 68 and, therefore, the cutter 69 at the proper time. A spring 103 bears against the block 68 on its upper side and tends to press the block downward, thereby also causing the cam roll 101 to remain in engagement with the cam so that after the cutter block has moved upward'and the cam roll rides off of the point 104 of the cam, the movable cutter will be caused to descend again.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A wire feed comprising a stationary block having pivoted thereto a grip which engages the wire to prevent backward movement of the same and yields to allow its for ward movement, a rod on which said block is held stationary, a feed block slidably mounted on said rod, means for reciprocating said feed block on said rod, gripping mechanism pivotally connected with said feed block which engages the wire and feeds it on the forward movement of the feed block and which yields to allow the back ward movementof the feed block withoutmoving the wire, and a guide rod parallel with said first rod which passes loosely through both of said blocks.

2. A wire feed comprising a stationary block having a grip which engages the wire to prevent backward movement of the same and yields to allow its forward movement, a slidable feed block carrying gripping mechanism which engages the wire and feeds it on the forward movement of the feed block and which yields to allow the backward movement of the feed block without moving the wire, means for reciprocating said feed block, adjustable supports mounted on both of said blocks to support the wire, and means for adjusting said supports to maintain the proper level of the wire.

3. A wire feed comprising a stationary block having pivoted thereto a grip which engages the wire to prevent backward movement of the same and yields to allow its forward movement, a rod on which said block is held stationary, a feed block slidably mounted on said rod, means for reciprocating said feed block on said rod, gripping mechanism pivotally connected with said feed block which engages the wire and feeds it on the forward movement of the feed block and which yields to allow the backward movement of the feed block with-- out moving the wire, a guide rod parallel with said first rod which passes loosely through both of said blocks, and a stop on said guide rod which limits the rearward movement of the feed block.

4. A wire feed comprising a stationary block having pivoted thereto a grip which engages the wire to prevent backward movement of the same and yields to allow its forward movement, a rod on which said block is held stationary, a feed block slidably mounted on said rod, means for reciprocating said feed block on said rod, gripping mechanism pivotally connected with said feed block which engages the wire and feeds it on the forward movement of the feed block and which yields to allow the backward movement of the feed block with out moving the wire, a guide rod parallel with said first rod which passes loosely through both of said blocks, a stop on said guide rod which limits the rearward movement of the feed block, and means for ad justing the stop mechanism to vary the extent of backward movement of the sliding feed block.

5. A wire feed comprising a stationary block having pivoted thereto a grip which engages the wire to prevent backward movement of the same and yields to allow its forward movement, a rod on which said block is held stationary, a feed block slidably mounted on said rod, means for reciproeating said feed block on said rod, gripping mechanism pivotally connected with said feed block which engages the wire and feeds it on the forward movement of the feed block and which yields to allow the backward movement of the feed block without moving the wire, a guide rod parallel with said first rod which passes loosely through both of said blocks, a stop on said guide rod which limits the rearward movement of the feed block, adjustable supports mounted on both of said blocks to support the wire, and means for adjusting said supports to maintain the wire on a level.

6. A wire feed comprising a stationary block having a grip which engages the wire to prevent backward movement of the same and yields to allow its forward movement, a slidable feed block carrying gripping mechanism which engages the wire and feeds it on the forward movement and which yields to allow the backward movement of the feed block without retrograde movement of the wire, means for reciprocating said feed block in a straight line, a stop with which the feed block engages on its rear movement, and means for adjusting said stop to vary the extent of stroke of the feed block.

7. A wire feed comprising a stationary block having a grip which engages the wire to prevent backward movement of the same and yields to allow its forward movement, a slidable feed block carrying gripping mechanism which engages the wire and feeds it on the forward movement and which yields to allow the backward movement of the feed block without retrograde movement of the wire, means for reciprocating said feed block in a straight line, means for varying the extent of the backward stroke of the feed block whereby the full extent of its stroke may be varied without changing the point at which it ends its forward stroke.

8. A wire feed comprising a stationary block having a grip which engages the wire to prevent backward movement of the same and yields to allow its forward movement, a slidable feed block carrying gripping mechanism which engages the wire and feeds it on the forward movement and which yields to allow the backward movement of the feed block without retrograde movement of the wire, means for reciprocating said feed block in a straight line, means for varying the extent of the backward stroke of the feed block whereby the full extent of its stroke may be varied with out changing the point at which it ends its forward stroke, a movable cutter which severs the wire and means for adjusting said cutter whereby its path of movement may be varied to sever the wire nearer to or farther from the stationary grip thereby varying the length of blank severed from the wire by varying the length of stroke of the feed and the path of movement of the cutter.

9. A wire feed comprising a stationary block having a grip which engages the wire to prevent backward movement of the same and yields to allow its forward movement, a slidable feed block carrying gripping mechanism which engages the wire and feeds it on the forward movement and which yields to allow the backward movement of the feed block without retrograde movement of the wire, means for reciprocating said feed block in a straight line, a stop with which the feed block engages on its rear movement and means for adjusting said stop to vary the extent of stroke of the feed block, a rod on which said feed block slides, a cutter-holding block made fast to the forward end of said rod, a reciprocalole cutter mounted in said holder and reciprocable therein transversely of the wire, said holding block and said cut ter having longitudinal apertures therethrough for the passage of the wire, the aperture through the cutter being of larger diameter than the diameter of the wire whereby the said cutter is permitted movement transversely of the wire.

10. A wire feed comprising a stationary block having a grip which engages the wire to prevent backward movement of the same and yields to allow its forward movement, a slidable feed block carrying gripping mechanism which engages the wire and feeds it on the forward movement and which yields to allow the backward movement of the feed block without retrograde movement of the wire, means for reciprocating said feed block in a straight line, a stop with which the feed block engages on its rear movement and means for adjusting said stop to vary the extent of stroke of the feed block, a rod on which said feed block slides, a cutterholding block made fast to the forward end of said rod, a reciprocable cutter mounted in said holder and reciprocable therein transversely of the wire, said holding block and said cutter having longitudinal apertures therethrough for the passage of the wire, the aperture through the cutter being of larger diameter than the diameter of the wire whereby the said, cutter is permitted movement transversely of the wire, a stationary block to which said cutter holding block is attached and means for adjusting said cutter holding block with relation to said stationary block in a longitudinal direction of the wire thereby also varying'the path of movement of the cutter.

11. A wire feed comprising reciprocating means for feeding the wire, means for varying the starting point of the feed mechanism, and means for maintaining a constant stopping point of the feed mechanism whereby the length of stroke of the feed and the length of wire fed is varied.

12. A wire feed and cutter comprising means for feeding the wire, means for varying the starting point of the feed mechanism and means for maintaining a constant stopping point of the feed mechanism whereby the stopping point of the advance end of the wire may be varied with relation to a fixed point, and means for varying the path of movement of the cutter whereby the cutting point may be changed in the opposite direction from the variation in the advance end of the wire whereby the distance of the cutting point from said fixed intermediate point will be varied an amount equal to the variation in the feed of the advance end of the wire from said fixed point whereby the length of the blank cut will be increased an equal amount at each end.

13. A wire feed comprising a stationary block having pivoted thereto a grip which engages the wire to prevent backward movement of the same and yields to allow its forward movement, a rod on which said block is held stationary, a feed block slidably mounted on said rod, means for reciprocating said feed block on said rod, gripping mechanism pivotally connected with said feed block which engages the wire and feeds it on the forward movement of the feed block and which yields to allow the back ward movement of the feed block without moving the wire, a stop which limits the rearward movement of the feed block, and means for adjusting the stop mechanism to vary the extent of backward movement of the sliding feed block.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE PERKINS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. COPELAND, ALICE H. MORRISON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

